CWD confirmed at Portage Co. deer farm

PORTAGE COUNTY—The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has confirmed that a Portage County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The farm has been quarantined.
The positive test in Portage County came from a three-year-old buck on the property of Big E Outfitters, Inc. The hunting ranch is owned and operated by Patrick “Big E” Eger and his son, Brandon Eger.
According to their website, the deer farm has a main preserve for shooting large bucks and also a separately located VIP preserve that is stocked with “monster mega bucks” whose antlers measure over 300 inches and up to 500 inches.
Veterinarians and members from U.S. Department of Agriculture are conducting an investigation. The positive test was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease found in deer, elk, and moose. The animal becomes ill when infected by the protein called prion, which affects the animal’s nervous system.